U.S.A.F. Orders StormBreaker Smart Weapons

The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon, an RTX business, a $345 million contract to produce and deliver more than 1,500 StormBreaker smart weapons.

StormBreaker is an air-to-surface, network enabled weapon that can engage moving targets in all weather conditions using its multi-effects warhead and tri-mode seeker.

StormBreaker is fielded on the F-15E Strike Eagle and F/A-18E/F SuperHornet with testing underway on all variants of the F-35. Across the platforms, StormBreaker completed 28 test drops in 2023.

The contract is intended for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Foreign Military Sale users Norway, Germany, Italy, and Finland.

Work on the 10th production lot is expected to be completed by August 30, 2028.

The StormBreaker, a 204-pound munition with a tri-mode seeker (millimeter wave, imaging infrared, and semi-active laser), can target static and moving objects day or night in any weather. The millimeter wave radar detects and tracks targets in adverse conditions, while imaging infrared enhances target discrimination. The semi-active laser enables tracking based on an airborne or ground laser designator. This winged munition features a 105-pound multimode warhead and autonomous target prioritization. With GPS/INS guidance, it allows post-launch retargeting. Its wings enable launching and gliding from a standoff range of 45 miles, reducing the risk to the launching platform from adversary counter-measures.